Danny Burstein
|birth_place = Mt. Kisco, New York |occupation = Actor, voice actor, stage actor, screen actor |years_active = 1992–present |spouse = Rebecca Luker (2000–present) |children = 2 }} Danny Burstein (born June 16, 1964) is an American actor of stage and screen, who made his Broadway debut in 1992. He is a six-time Tony Award nominee; for The Drowsy Chaperone (2006), South Pacific (2008), Follies (2012), Golden Boy (2013), Cabaret (2014), and Fiddler on the Roof (2016). He has also won two Drama Desk Awards, three Outer Critics Circle Awards, and received two Grammy Award nominations. His other Broadway credits include The Seagull (1992), Saint Joan (1993), and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (2010). Burstein's television work includes a feature-length episode of the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous (2002); a Staten Island father in the first season of Louie (2010); he appeared as different characters in six episodes of the original NBC drama series Law & Order (1995–2015), and played the recurring part of Lolly Steinman on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire (2010–11). His film appearances include Transamerica (2005), Deception (2008), The Family Fang (2015), and Indignation (2016). Early life and education Burstein was born in Mt. Kisco, New York, and was raised in New York City.Danny Burstein sings 'Blues' in 'Follies' but feels great latimes.com, May 22, 2012 Danny's biological parents separated when he was two months old. He was raised by his mother, Virginia (Vega), a painter, and his stepfather, Harvey Burstein, a professor of Greek philosophy. His mother, who is from Costa Rica, is Catholic and of Spanish descent, and his stepfather is Jewish."Danny Burstein on the Golden Roles that Made Him One of Broadways MVPs" broadway.com"Dannys Double Life" playbill.com Burstein attended the High School of the Performing Arts and Queens College in New York City. He received an MFA in Acting from the University of California, San Diego in 1990. Burstein's first acting job was in the chorus of The Music Man at The Muny in St. Louis during college.Panarello, Joseph F. "Behind the Stage Door with Danny Burstein" Broadway World.com, July 6, 2006 Career On Broadway, Burstein's sixteen appearances, which have garnered him six Tony Award nominations, have included A Little Hotel on the Side (1992), Yakov in The Seagull (1992–93), in Saint Joan and Three Men on a Horse (both in 1993), Paul in Company (1995), 1st Officer William Murdoch in Titanic (1997–99), Aldolpho in The Drowsy Chaperone (2006–07),Murray, Matthew. "Review, 'The Drowsy Chaperone'" talkinbroadway.com, May 1, 2006 Luther Billis in South Pacific (2008–10),Hetrick, Adam. "Sher to Discuss South Pacific at Vivian Beaumont March 26" . Playbill.com, March 7, 2008 Taxi Driver in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (2010–11), Tokio in Golden Boy (2012–2013),Hetrick, Adam. "Starry 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown' Opens on Broadway Nov. 4" Playbill.com, November 4, 2010 Max in the Sharr White play, The Snow Geese (2013),Purcell, Cary. "Danny Burstein, Victoria Clark, Christopher Innvar, Evan Jonigkeit Join Mary-Louise Parker in MTC's 'The Snow Geese'" playbill.com, August 26, 2013 Herr Schultz in the 2014 revival of Cabaret (2014–15) and Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof (2015–2016). Burstein's Off-Broadway credits include Rajiv Joseph's Describe the Night at the Atlantic Theater Company; Talley's Folly opposite Sarah Paulson at The Roundabout Theater Company for which he was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award and a Drama League Award; the world premieres of A. R. Gurney's Mrs. Farnsworth (2004), opposite Sigourney Weaver and John Lithgow, at The Flea TheaterBrantley, Ben. "Theater Review; Patrician Calm Can't Extinguish Embers of Pain" The New York Times, April 8, 2004 and Psych (2001) at Playwrights Horizons.Jones, Kenneth. "Grad School is a Real Psych Out at Playwrights Horizons, Beginning Nov. 24" Playbill.com, November 24, 2001 He also starred in I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (1996 and 2002) at the Westside Theatre;Simonson, Robert "Perfect Casting: Danny Burstein Returns to Off-Broadway Revue" Playbill.com, April 16, 2002 as Ru/Floor Monitor/Pianist in Merrily We Roll Along (1994) at the York Theatre at St. Peter's Church;" 'Merrily We Roll Along', 1994 York Theatre Company Production" SondheimGuide.com, accessed June 26, 2012 All in the Timing at the Houseman; as Daniel in Alan Menken and David Spencer's Weird Romance at the WPA; as Solomon in The Rothschilds and Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh, both at Circle in the Square; The United Way at Ensemble Studio Theater; and A Class Act at Manhattan Theatre Club. He appeared in two concerts at Carnegie Hall: the Ira Gershwin centennial and as Steward in Sail Away, (1999).Isherwood, Charles. "Review: 'Sail Away'" Variety, November 14, 1999"BursteinBiography" BroadwayWorld.com, accessed June 27, 2012 He appeared in the Encores! (New York City Center) staged concert productions of DuBarry Was a Lady (1996), as Romeo Skragg in Li'l Abner (1998), as Tailor-Merchant in The Boys from Syracuse (1997) and as Mister Mister in The Cradle Will Rock (2013)."Encores! Previous Seasons" New York City Center, accessed June 26, 2012"Danny Burstein Star File" Broadway.com He played the role of Buddy Plummer in the Kennedy Center production of Follies, which ran from May 7, 2011 through June 19, 2011 at the Eisenhower Theater, co-starring with Bernadette Peters, Ron Raines, and Jan Maxwell.Gans, Andrew. "'Hats Off, Here They Come, Those Beautiful Girls': Starry Follies Begins Kennedy Center Run May 7" , Playbill.com, May 7, 2011 He reprised that role in the Broadway engagement of Follies at the Marquis Theatre from August 7, 2011 (in previews) through January 22, 2012, and continued with the production in its engagement at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California from May 3, 2012 through June 9, 2012. He won the Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a MusicalGans, Andrew. "'Once', 'Tribes', 'Follies', 'Salesman', Audra McDonald, Danny Burstein and More Are Drama Desk Winners" Playbill.com, June 3, 2012 and was nominated for the Tony Award, Best Actor in a Musical.Jones, Kenneth. "'Once', 'Clybourne Park', 'Porgy and Bess', Audra McDonald, 'Salesman' Win Tony Awards" Playbill.com, June 10, 2012 Burstein can be heard on the cast recording of many of these musicals. Among his many recordings is the musical Sweet Little Devil in which he introduced three George Gershwin, Buddy DeSylva songs. The score originally went unrecorded in 1924 and was finally recorded by PS Classics, with Burstein playing the role of Sam in 2012.Jones, Kenneth. Danny Burstein, Rebecca Luker, Philip Chaffin Will Sing Forgotten Gershwin Score of Sweet Little Devil on CD" Playbill.com, March 26, 2012 Burstein's film roles include Duane Incarnate (2004),Scheib, Ronnie. "Review: 'Duane Incarnate', Tribeca" Variety, (webcache.googleusercontent.com), June 4, 2004 Transamerica (2005)," 'Transamerica' Listing" AllMovie.com, accessed June 26, 2012 Deception (2008), Nor'easter (2013), Trust, Greed, Bullets and Bourbon (2013), American Milkshake (2013), Autumn Whispers (2013), Affluenza (2014), Blackhat (2015), directed by Michael Mann, The Family Fang (2015), opposite Nicole Kidman and directed by Jason Bateman, Construction (2015), Indignation (2016), written and directed by James Schamus, and The Sounding, written & directed by Catherine Eaton. His many television credits include guest starring on Elementary (2017), all the Law & Order series, the BBC's Absolutely Fabulous (2002), the FX series Louie (2010), and The Good Wife. He was cast in HBO's Boardwalk Empire after director Martin Scorsese saw him in South Pacific, and after auditioning for three different characters, he landed the part of Lolly Steinman. Burstein has lent his voice in a number of video games, including Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Manhunt 2, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Neverwinter Nights 2. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Frosch in Die Fledermaus (2013–14 season). Burstein serves on the Artists Committee of the Kennedy Center Honors and has been a guest lecturer teaching at many universities such as Yale, NYU, Juilliard, UCSD and Queens College. Burstein played the role of Tevye in the 2015 Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof, at the Broadway Theatre, directed by Bartlett Sher. The revival began in previews on November 20, 2015 and officially opened on December 20, 2015 and closed on December 31st, 2016.Gordon, David. "Full Casting Revealed for Danny Burstein-Led 'Fiddler on the Roof' Revival" theatermania.com. October 7, 2015Gans, Andrew and Viagas, Robert. "Danny Burstein Is Tevye in Broadway Revival of 'Fiddler on the Roof', Starting Tonight" playbill.com, November 20, 2015 In the summer of 2017, he played the role of Nick Bottom in the New York Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. In summer 2018 he will appear in [[Moulin Rouge! (musical)|''Moulin Rouge!]] as Harold Zidler. ''Moulin Rouge! began preview performances on July 10, 2018, at the Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston. The production is scheduled to officially open on July 22, 2018, and will complete its limited run on August 19, 2018. Theatre credits Personal life Burstein is married to actress Rebecca LukerJones, Kenneth."Madam Librarian! Actors Rebecca Luker and Danny Burstein Tie the Knot" Playbill.com, June 14, 2000 and has two sons, Alexander and Zachary.Nondorf, Tom. "The Leading Men: Burstein and Barrett" Playbill.com, December 3, 2009"Fast chat: 'Follies' for Danny Burstein" Newsday.com, September 8, 2011 Awards and nominations References External links * * * *Panarello, Joseph F. "Behind the Stage Door with Danny Burstein", July 6, 2006 (Broadway World.com) Category:1964 births Category:American male film actors Category:American male singers Category:American singers Category:American male musical theatre actors Category:American male stage actors Category:American male television actors Category:American male voice actors Category:Drama Desk Award winners Category:Living people Category:People from Mount Kisco, New York Category:Male actors from New York City Category:Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni Category:Queens College, City University of New York alumni Category:University of California, San Diego alumni Category:20th-century American male actors Category:21st-century American male actors Category:American people of Costa Rican-Jewish descent Category:American people of Spanish-Jewish descent